Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defense action video game developed and originally published by PopCap Games for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game involves a homeowner using many varieties of plants to repel an army of zombies.
Requirement
Windows
Operating system Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
CPU 1.2 GHz
Memory 1 GB
Hard drive space 65+MB of free hard drive space
Graphics hardware 128 MB of video memory, 16-bit or 32-bit color quality
Sound hardware DirectX-compatible sound
Mac
Operating system Mac OS X 10.4.11-10.6.x
CPU 1.66 GHz+ (dual core)
Memory 1 GB
Hard drive space 50 MB
Graphics hardware 64 MB of video memory, 16-bit or 32-bit color quality
Sound hardware Standard audio
Gameplay
Plants vs. Zombies sees players placing different types of plants and fungi, each with their own unique offensive or defensive capabilities, across the front garden, a back garden with a swimming pool, and the roof of a house in order to stop a horde of zombies from devouring the brains of the residents. The playing field is divided into a number of horizontal tracks, and in general, although there are exceptions, a zombie will only move towards the player's house along one track, and most plants can only attack or defend against zombies in the track they are planted in. In the game's initial levels, if the zombie reaches the player's house, a one-shot tool (a lawn mower or pool cleaner) can be used to completely wipe out zombies in that track, but the tool will not be restored until the next level. In later levels, players have to purchase upgrades so as to adapt their lawn-mower to new environments like pools or rooftops. Zombies, except in special cases, attempt to devour any plants in their way while heading towards the house.
Gameplay in progress.
The player starts with a limited number of seed packs and seed pack slots that they can use during most levels. New seed packs are gained by completing levels, while the number of slots can be increased through purchases with in-game money. At the start of a level, the player is shown the various types of zombies to expect and given the opportunity to select which seed packs to take into the level. In order to plant a seed, the player must have collected a specific amount of sunlight. Sunlight is generated by plants which provide sunlight at regular intervals, or is automatically generated regularly for the player during daytime. Seed packs also have a short time delay before the same seed can be planted again. Several plants are nocturnal, like mushrooms, having a lower sunlight cost and are ideal for nighttime levels, but will remain asleep during daytime levels unless awoken by a coffee bean. In the "backyard" levels that include a swimming pool, seeds must be planted atop lily pads on water spaces, while on the roof levels, all seeds must be planted in flower pots. The various plant abilities include firing projectiles at zombies, turning zombies against each other, quickly exploding and wiping out an area of zombies, and slowing down zombies. Certain plants are highly effective against specific types of zombies, such as a "Magnet-shroom" that can remove metallic items from a zombie, such as helmets and ladders.
The zombies also come in a number of types that have different attributes, in particular, speed, damage tolerance, and abilities. As the player progresses in the game, the zombies will include those wearing makeshift armour, those that are able to jump or fly over plants, and even a dancing zombie that is able to summon other zombies from the ground. In each level, zombies will approach the house randomly except at special points where the player will be inundated with a huge wave of zombies; a meter on screen shows an approximate timeline for the level so the player can prepare for these waves.
Reception
Aggregate scores
GameRankings 88.6%
Metacritic 88
Review scores
1UP.com A-
Edge 9/10
Eurogamer 9/10
GamePro 4.5/5 stars
GameSpot 8.5/10
IGN 9.0/10
PC Gamer UK 90%
Wired 9/10
Gamezebo 4.5/5 stars
Awards
Plants vs. Zombies has been nominated for the "Casual Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design" Interactive Achievement Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. The game received nominations in "Best Game Design", "Innovation", and "Best Download Game" for the Game Developers Choice Awards. Plants vs Zombies was picked by Gamezebo as one of the 'Best games of 2009'.
